Destroying the Idols

In this recent cartoon from JMP, the historical Buddha is taking a hammer to an image in his likeness, while a (presumably contemporary Burmese) monk approaches him yelling, "The Sasana is being degraded! Catch him!"

While this cartoon speaks specifically to JMP's ongoing criticisms of Burmese Buddhism, it actually taps into a much larger and more universal issue, that being the tension between spiritual founders from ancient eras and the modern systematic implication of those teachings. Also of interest is the fact that Buddha images did not appear on the scene until far after the Buddha's death, as before symbols such as Dhamma wheels or opening lotuses were used instead. So one may imagine the Buddha's surprise at seeking images of his likeness proliferating.

The underlying metaphor is obviously showing how 21st century Burmese monks are so caught in the religious trappings that they degrade the primary spiritual teacher. However, there is something off-putting to me in showing the Buddha engaging in destruction of property, even if its driving force is metaphorical, as that is hard to square away with what we know of his presence and teachings.